Accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon is under 24-hour camera surveillance in his western Sydney prison cell and not allowed contact with any other inmate.
Lamarre-Condon has been under the strictest form of protective custody at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC) at Silverwater since shortly after his arrest last Friday.
The 28-year-old has been charged with murdering television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29, in inner-city Paddington on February 19.
Police allege Lamarre-Condon shot dead the couple with his service pistol at Mr Baird’s home then dumped their bodies two days later in the Southern Tablelands.
Accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon (above) is under 24-hour camera surveillance in his western Sydney prison cell and is allowed no contact with any other inmate
Mr Baird and Lamarre-Condon had previously had what police described as an ‘off and on’ romance but Mr Baird had not wanted to pursue a relationship.
Lamarre-Condon, a one-time celebrity chaser who posted pictures of himself with international stars on social media, turned himself in to police at Bondi last Friday.
He faced Waverley Local Court that afternoon when he was represented by a Legal Aid Commission solicitor and did not apply for bail.
Lamarre-Condon was then transferred to the MRRC where his status as a police officer meant he was placed in protective custody to isolate him from the general prison population.
Prison authorities also deemed him potentially at risk because he has been accused of extremely serious offences, has attracted saturation media attention and has never previously been in prison.
Lamarre-Condon is being held at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre at Silverwater (above) where his status as a police officer meant he was placed in protective custody to isolate him from the general prison population
A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said the department did not comment on an individual inmate’s circumstances but prison sources were able to describe some of Lamarre-Condon’s security arrangements.
Lamarre-Condon is in what is known as an observation camera cell which allows correctional officers to monitor him 24 hours a day.
Regular physical checks are also made to ensure he has done no harm to himself in his sparse housing, which is in a relatively new section of the 27-year-old jail.
It is the most extreme security available at the MRRC and Lamarre-Condon is completely isolated from all other prisoners in the facility.
Prison authorities do not necessarily consider Lamarre-Condon a particular suicide risk but his circumstances combine to suggest he would be vulnerable in jail.
Lamarre-Condon has been charged with murdering television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, (right) and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29 (left) at inner-city Paddington on February 19
The Corrective Services spokesman said a prisoner could be placed in protective custody either at the direction of the governor or at the inmate’s request.
‘The level of inmate associations and the duration of the protection will vary depending on the identified threat,’ she said.
‘Reasons for requiring protective custody can include the nature of the offence, previous employment, or an inability to cope with the correctional centre environment.
‘Inmates identified as in need of the highest level of protection will be managed in isolation from other inmates.’
When an inmate first enters custody they are screened and assessed for any indication they are at risk of self-harm or suicide.
If he or she is identified as at-risk, their case is brought to the attention of Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network staff and the jail’s Risk Intervention Team.
Lamarre-Condon is in what is known as an observation camera cell which allows correctional officers to monitor him 24 hours a day. Cells at the MRRC at Silverwater are pictured above
‘Inmates at a higher risk of self-harm can be housed in safe cells with cameras and additional monitoring,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘Inmates in safe cells can have restrictions placed on the type of clothes and bedding they can access.’
Inmates in protective custody are not to be subjected to further undue hardships such as a reduction in diet or deprived of their usual rights and privileges.
Prisoners are advised to carefully consider if they want to go on protection as other inmates will often assume they are child sex offenders if they return to the general population.
Retired bank robber Russell Manser has previously told Daily Mail Australia that Lamarre-Condon’s homosexuality would not make him a target in prison.
‘No one gives a s*** about that,’ Manser said. ‘But if they could gain access to him, he would get dropped [for being a police officer].’
Lamarre-Condon does not face court again until April and could remain at the MRRC for many months.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk